


Three's A Crowd

by Vixie



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Everyone Is Alive, F/F, Feels, Plotty, Polyamory, This is gonna be deep, noir angel is b ack
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2016-05-22
Packaged: 2018-06-09 00:48:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6882589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vixie/pseuds/Vixie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU where everybody is alive.<br/>Chloe and Max are together, and they're hella cute. Victoria is as bitchy as ever, but it looks like she might want to change for the better. Victoria finds out that Max is super gay and starts hitting on her... but Chloe doesn't like Victoria at all.<br/>#polyproblems</p><p>Shout out to Handoverthebooty for making me ship Max and Victoria. Go read his stuff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Substitute Guy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short scene setting opening chapter, go!
> 
> Victoria just makes me so sad ok I want her to have her chance to shine. Pricefield is like so perfect. I headcanon max to be a hardcore lesbian like why was warren in the game. Not sure what the difference between a hardcore lesbian and a softcore lesbian is but like she's hella gay ok just run with it.
> 
> Also like idk if it's canon but I figure Max lost her powers after the end of Chapter 5 so like... yeah. That's a thing.

“What are you _wearing?”_ Victoria Chase sneered, “Worn jeans and black t-shirt?” she look a closer look, “Stained black t-shirt.”

Max looked away, her face flushing with embarrassment. It  _always_ flushed when people were mean to her. Victoria was exceptionally good at making her feel like absolute shit, after all.

“Better call the hipster police – that outfit looks closer to late 90's rocker than vintage hipster. Won't they like, revoke your hipster membership card or something?”

“Go fuck your selfie, Victoria.” Max muttered, barely loud enough to be heard, “I borrowed some of my girlfriend's clothes.”

“ _You_ have a girlfriend? Gotta say Max, I didn't know you swung that way.” Victoria rocked  her weight on to her back hip, placing a hand on it and looking at Max's outfit with an an analytical eye now. “You don't look half bad in that outfit.”

Max blinked, “Thanks Victoria. That was oddly... nice?”

“I'm not a total bitch, you know.” Victoria pulled out her phone and began texting, “Besides, I mean you don't look half bad if you ignore your face.”

Max shrugged, “See ya later then,” and began walking to her next class, smiling to herself a little.  _She had to add in that last quip didn't she? She wouldn't be Victoria otherwise._

 

Twenty minutes later, Max was in science class and thoroughly bored. A substitute teacher was brought in as Mrs. Grant was sick or something, and this guy had no idea what they were covering, but was excitedly babbling about what he claimed was local quantum chronodynamic phenomena – whatever that was - he'd picked up on his equipment back home and while she would have loved to understand, it went so far over her head she barely noticed it sail by. This substitute guy was so caught up in the sound of his own voice he didn't notice that most of the class weren't paying him any attention. He was probably  _way_ too smart to be a substitute teacher in an arts school, but whatever.

_ [ _ _ a _ _ t least she has some taste  _ _ lol _ _ ], _ Chloe replied after Max relayed the incident with Victoria to her. Then, a moment later,  _[In girls as well as clothes ;) ;_ _) ;)_ _]_

That damn winky face. Emoji grated on Max like nails on a chalkboard. They were so stupid, and she was blushing again. Unable to come up with a good response, she quickly tapped out, [ _NO EMOJI_ ] and put her phone in hed pocket on sheer principle. She half-wished she could still rewind and undo telling Chloe, so she wouldn't make her blush like that, but she kind of loved the cheesy compliments. She'd never admit it though.

She didn't share this period with Victoria, thank the gods, but some of her clique were here, gossiping about... Max, actually. She leaned a little closer to hear Courtney whisper in scandalous tones to Taylor: “So like, Victoria said Caulfield is like hella freakin' gay. Like, she doesn't look so hippie today because she borrowed her girlfriend's clothes.”

Max rolled her eyes. Of course Queen Bitch told her friends, and probably the entire school before long. She wasn't sure if she was expecting bullying or something, but she was amiable and got along with almost everybody (except Victoria, of course), and the student body wasn't particularly homophobic. She'd probably have to put up with gross comments from some of the boys though. Seriously though, how did they not know already? Chloe hung out in Max's room and met her after school like all the time. She sighed to herself and pulled out her phone again, tuning out the background chatter. Two texts from Chloe.

_[but like u look srsly cute today]_

_[_ _u there supermax?]_

She wasn't super any more though. Except maybe to Chloe. Man, last night had been intense. Max hadn't meant to stay over, but Chloe got a new bed which was super comfy, and then Chloe kissed her and one thing lead to another and... Yeah. Chloe had called it “breaking in the new bed” with a wicked grin this morning over breakfast, in front of Joyce too, who was so oblivious it was probably intentional. Joyce had gotten good at that, and Max had a sneaking suspicion that she worked pretty damn hard to not see or hear half of what Chloe said and did.

Max shifted uncomfortably as a tingle began in her nether regions, and blushed. She wasn't used to this whole... having a girlfriend thing. She wasn't sure if she was less of a virgin? _I mean, that was definitely sex... but I always thought of sex as having some kind of penetration, but we're both girls..._ _And that thing she did her tongue..._

She composed a brilliant, stunningly well-written message of [Y _ep_ ], sent it, and glanced around, eager for a distraction. Substitute guy – she never cared to catch his name – was talking about butterflies and how they affected something something math blah blah. [ _Doesn't substitute guy sound like a superhero name or smth]_ she texted Chloe.

And then Max noticed that near the front of the class, Stella was zonked out. It was almost a graceful doze, but she was sprawled across the desk, one arm curled to act as a pillow and the other holding an empty cup of Starbucks at an angle. Photo op!

Substitute guy was busy writing on the board, so Max grab her camera, and hurried over to crouch down in front of Stella. _Snap!_ She took the picture, grabbed the printout and was just shaking it dry when...

“Shouldn't you be in your seat?” Substitute guy said to her disapprovingly, almost hurt, “You weren't paying attention. What was the last thing I said?”

_Shit._ It was a risky move anyway, but come on, like she cared if substitute guy told her off.  _Maybe Chloe's a bad influence after all,_ she internally grinned. Externally, however, she lowered her gaze and said, “Sorry. It won't happen again.”

“I hope not. This isn't a photography class, you know. This is science, and physics is the most pure of all sciences.” Substitute Guy (she capitalised his name like a superhero mentally, and imagined him wearing a cape) said, with a distant gleam in his eye, “I hope you learn some more respect for physics. Go take your seat again, and I'll be having a word with Mrs. Grant about you, Miss...” he trailed off, prompting her name.

Max thought for a quick moment and said, “Chase. Victoria Chase.”

_I am such a bitch_ , she thought uncharacteristically maliciously,  _But Victoria Chase needs to be taken down a notch._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> max no


	2. The Gig

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max and Chloe go to a gig and Max finds out that she's a bit of a masochist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No fallout from framing Victoria yet, but like I really needed to write Max and Chloe being adorable together. And they're SO adorable ok.
> 
> In which Max blushes a lot and is totally sappy.
> 
> Also the song Chloe sings is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_g19fCJotPc which is far more tragically relevant than you know  
> And the song Max enthuses about is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq0H-1IuaY8

Chloe was waiting on a bench after Max finished the last class of the day. She was writing something in a cheap notebook in pencil, a lit cigarette behind her ear. She looked beautiful in summer, Max concluded. The sun was catching her blue pixie cut, unadorned by her usual hat and instead spiked back clumsily with hairspray, and a squirrel was nibbling at her Doc Martin boots. Max reached for the camera, and approached, commanding “Hold that pose!” as Chloe saw her and made to get up. _Snap!_ She got the picture, shook it out, and slid it between the pages of her diary in her messenger bag as she'd done with thousands of photos before.

“What's up, Mad Max?” Chloe greeted her, closing her notepad and taking the cigarette from behind her ear, taking a puff. She shifted position and the squirrel scampered.

“I am so freaking ready to get back to my room. I need a nap or something,” Max grumbled.

Chloe jumped to her feet and offered Max her cigarette, “We gotta get ready for the Offspring gig tonight. You forget?”

“Come on, it's not for like four hours, Chloe. I'm sure I'll survive a twenty minute nap.” Max shook her head at the cigarette in polite refusal grinned at Chloe's eagerness. “What's gonna take four hours anyway?”

Chloe began walking towards Max's dorm, and Max linked her fingers with her girlfriend's idly, enjoying the feeling of warmth, of Chloe's touch. It completed her. _I'm such a sap,_ she thought with an inward smile.

“We gotta get the booze, some more weed, gotta get dressed, find your ticket in your trash heap of a room...” Chloe listed, lapsing into thought, before perking up. “It's your first gig, Max. It's gonna be totally _awesomesauce_ even if I'm the one who needs to get crazy time powers to make it go perfect.”

“You're sweet.”

“Yeah but don't tell anyone. I have a rep, you know.”

They passed Taylor and Kate on the way. Kate didn't bat an eyelid at Chloe and Max, but Taylor grinned and pulled out her phone. Texting Victoria to confirm, no doubt. Max pushed open her door, inwardly cringing at the mess; her unmade bed, the panties carelessly tossed across the room which landed on the neck of her guitar, the photos and clothes strewn across the floor, and the papers on her desk. It was probably time for a clean up, but not today.

“Are these mine?” Chloe asked, picking the panties from the guitar, and Max died inside. “They are, aren't they? Did we fuck sometime here? I thought last night was the first time, and that was at my place.” Literally dead. Yep.

“I borrowed them last week.”

Chloe blinked, and looked like she wanted to ask why, but instead her face split into a grin. “You are such a dork,” she said as she flopped down onto Max's bed.

“Bite me.”

Chloe raised an eyebrow and pushed herself to her feet again, leaning in close and pressing her lips to Max's neck, “Is that an invitation?”

Max stepped back, “I- what?” she was about to say no, but something stopped her. She thought about the idea of Chloe biting her neck... her shoulders... her inner thigh... Her knees wobbled a little and her face went red again. “Maybe,” she whispered. _It'll hurt though. Am I seriously getting turned on by the idea of pain? What the fuck, Max?_

She felt Chloe's teeth touch her neck, teasing, testing. Chloe's hand hand slipped up the back of Max's borrowed t-shirt to rest her hand at the small of Max's back. Max leaned into her, and Chloe pressed her teeth into her neck, sucking gently, but biting with increasing pressure. Her teeth were pointy, damn it, and Max loved it. Her breath caught in her throat and pulled Chloe closer, which Chloe took as license to drag her nails down Max's back, probably breaking the skin. It hurt like hell but fuck, it felt so good. She let out a soft moan, and something in her brain clicked, and she pushed Chloe away, who sat back on the bed with a smug smile.

“I freakin' knew you were a masochist.”

“Shut up.”

“Make me, Super Max.”

Max took a few deep breaths to steady herself. Her heart was racing. She shook her head to herself. “Anyway. You mentioned alcohol?”

 

* * *

 

Later that evening, Chloe and Max were walking – well, stumbling – out of the venue, with Chloe singing to Max, her arm around Max's shoulder, “I want you, all tattooed, I want you baaaaad. Complicated, x-rated. I want you bad, bad, bad, bad, baaaad.”

Max loved it. They crawled into the taxi they'd ordered back at Max's insistence that Chloe shouldn't drive while drunk and high. Max hadn't really drunk much before, but Chloe had got her doing shots of Sourz. The Offspring gig was great though, even if she only knew half of the songs, she sung along (badly) to all of them, even if she was half-forming likely sounding words.

On the ride home, they enthused about the songs played, the band, and everything that had happened.

“So how was your first gig, babe?”

“Babe?” Max raised her eyebrows, and shook her head. She didn't care. “It was awesome! When they played 'Can't Get My Head Around You', oh my god.”

“I know right! It's a shame you didn't join me in a mosh pit though.” Chloe rested her head on Maxi's shoulder and her eyelids drooped a little.

“No way! I'm not bouncing around a punky mosh pit with you. I'd die on spikes.”

“The spikes make it fun,” Chloe's murmured, opened her eyes and looked back up at Max. “I thought you were a masochist anyway,” she teased.

Max rolled her eyes and contented herself with stroking Chloe's hair, which was slightly damp with... she sniffed. Sweat and cheep beer, which had probably been thrown. Max didn't mind. That was the smell of the concert, and the concert was a good memory. She imagined Victoria Chase in that crowd of sweaty, screaming fans, and smiled. Then she imagined Victoria in a mosh pit, and giggled.

“What's funny?” Chloe mumbled.

“Nothing. I'll wake you when we're back at Blackwell.”

“Mm”

 

Back at Blackwell, Chloe half stumbled with Max to Max's room, and the two of them were laughing and singing, though they were starting to chill a bit. Max was faintly aware that they were probably waking people up, but she didn't care. She'd had a good time, and she didn't doubt that Chloe would fight anyone who tried to ruin her awesome evening.

Chloe had drunk considerably more than Max, but Max was still tipsy enough to not realise that her door was unlocked. A box in white and black wrapping paper was left on Max's bed with a note in floral cursive. Very art deco, she thought.

 

_I know I'm always a bitch, but text me?_

_-V_

 

She'd deal with this in the morning. It was confusing, and she was happy, tipsy, and about to crawl into bed with her beautiful girlfriend, who'd stripped down to her panties. Max put the box next to her guitar, kicked off her jeans and cuddled up next to Chloe, bravely taking the role of big spoon tonight in her single bed.

Her final thought as she fell asleep, her thoughts mixing with the alcohol as she floated somewhere between waking and dreaming, was that humans were stackable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> victoria yes


	3. DSLR

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max finds out what was in the box, and Victoria wants to talk to her. She even says please. Oh and Chloe suggests polyamory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be a little slower than I'd like in updating. Exams and moving house and life is crazy busy right now. But I'm doing my best!
> 
> Victoria makes me so sad.

“A Nikon D810. She gave me an actual Nikon D810.” Max said, staring at the box the morning after the gig.

“Is that... good?” Chloe asked with a small frown.

“It's a DSLR, top-of-the-range, _three thousand dollar_ camera, Chloe.”

“Oh. Damn, that girlie is rich.”

Max was almost salivating as she stared at the box, “Thirty six megapixels, full frame sensor, blindingly fast autofocus, and amazing for continuous shooting to get the right shot.”

Chloe took a step back. “I bet it's a bomb or something. A trap. It's gotta be. Didn't you say Victoria was an awful human being?”

“I mean, she's difficult, yeah, but I don't think she'd actually try to kill me.”

Max stared at the box a while, and then pulled out her phone, as per Victoria's request. [ _What's up?_ ] she sent.

The reply was almost instant. [ _Can we talk? Just us? My room_ ].

Woah, okay. That was new, but maybe Chloe was right. Maybe Victoria was going to play some horrible prank on her. It was the kind of thing she was going to do. Maybe something that dyed her hair blue!

She glanced at Chloe, who was picking up the box and placing it on the bed. Blue hair was cool, but the point was that maybe Victoria was going to humiliate her somehow. _As long as none of the shit that went down with Nathan or Mr. Jefferson goes down happens, I'll be fine. I've survived worse,_ she thought to herself. Chloe was unboxing the camera, lock-knife in hand to cut the tape, ready to attack any would-be attackers learning in the box.

“What are you doing? Don't open it! I can't accept this!” Max complained. Her phone vibrated. [ _Please?_ ].

“Oh shit. Victoria just said please.” Max ran her fingers through her hair. Actually, this was, in a way, worse than the whole situation with Mark Jefferson a few months ago. If somebody is trying to drug you and kill you, the solution is clear: Fight back, try to get free, cry for help, and in extreme situations try to kill them right back. That sort of thing. She still had nightmares about it... Chloe held her at night when they hit. But anyway, this was _confusing_. What was the right answer? You can't fight back when somebody who until now has been generally horrible to you is being nice to you. You can't free yourself, and killing Victoria would be a bit extreme.

Chloe was pacing, the box left alone for now. “She wants to talk to me, in her room,” Max told her.

“Then let's go.” Chloe picked her phone from the bed, pocketed it, and strode for the door.

“Wait.” Chloe looked up at her. “She said alone. Maybe she's upset about the whole thing with Mr Jefferson. I mean, I was there.”

Chloe ran her fingers through her hair. “Maybe. That _was_ pretty bad, huh? And she was kidnapped. The two of you escaped together.”

Max nodded. “Right. I don't get the gift, but like, I don't get quantum physics. Victoria's about the same.”

Chloe grinned, “She complimented your outfit the other day. Maybe she wants to sex you up, give you lovin',” she teased.

Max blushed, “No way. Besides, like I'd sleep with her. I'm devoted to you, my crazy punk rocker superpower-bringing angel.”

It started raining outside. Good thing Victoria lived just across the hall. Chloe raised an eyebrow, “Angel? I'm a hellraiser I am.”

“Yeah, but you're _my_ hellraiser.”

“You sap.”

A few moments of silence, and then Chloe spoke. “You know... you don't have to be devoted to _just_ me. We could do, like, a polyamory thing.” Max looked at her in what she thought was surprise, but it must have read as something else, because Chloe said, “Don't look at me like that. It's how me and Rachel were. She had a boyfriend as well as me. It was nice, you know?”

Max had heard of polyamory. It always sounded appealing, but in practice... It was all a bit scary. She had a mental image of Chloe finding somebody better looking, less of a dork. It probably wouldn't happen, but would she get jealous? Probably not. They could make it work but still... “What if you decide you don't want me any more?” she whispered.

Chloe cupped her jaw and pushed her gaze up to meet her eyes. “I will _always_ love you, and always want you. Loving somebody else too doesn't make our love any less. It's not like love is limited or whatevs... we're bonded by fate for life, remember?” she laughed, and everything was okay. When Chloe smiled, and her eyes sparkled, it made all of Max's fears and worries go away. Chloe's laugh was so pure, so like when they'd played together as kids, and took her right back to that safe, happy place. It made her feel whole.

Max nodded. That was what she'd thought, but there was that nagging fear... But Chloe helped ease it. “In which case, I am totally up for making this poly thing.” She thought for a moment. “Hey! It's not like I'm going to go get with Victoria. She's _Victoria_.”

Her phone buzzed. She checked it. Another text from Victoria. [ _I know you're awake. I can hear you_ _]. Shit, I forgot to reply,_ she thought, pocketing her phone again.

“I better go see what she wants. You wanna hang around here for a bit? I don't know how long I'll be.”

“Yeah I'll chill here for a bit. Got my phone, headphones, sketchpad, and I can noodle on your guitar,” yawned Chloe, lying back on the bed, hands behind her head, knees bent and crossed, “You kids have fun. We'll talk about it later.”

Fun. Right. Victoria was a bundle of laughs alright. Max opened her door, crossed the hall, and knocked on Victoria's. The door clicked unlocked from the inside and Victoria called a somewhat muffled, “Come in.”

 

Inside, Victoria's bedroom was immaculate. It had been more messy the last time she'd been in here, when she was checking the Ice Queen's emails after she'd played a downright mean prank on Dana. Ice Queen. That was a good name for her, since her heart may as well be made of ice.

The Ice Queen herself was sat on her bed with a cup of coffee. Her eyes were red and puffy. “Hey Max,” she said a little weakly as Max entered. Had she been crying? What the hell was going on?

“Oh... Hey Victoria. What's up?”

“Nothing just... wanted to chat to you.”

Max raised an eyebrow. “You _are_ Victoria, right? You never voluntarily speak to me unless it's to make fun of me.”

Victoria's gaze lowered. “I'm sorry, Max. I- I don't want to be like that.”

And here, Max had absolutely no idea what to say. She was taken aback, because she'd never expected this. What could she say? _It's okay Victoria, I forgive you? No that sounds stupid._

“Oh.” _Well that was helpful. Well done, Max,_ she thought. Victoria let out a soft sob. She was crying. She was actually crying. This wasn't any kind of prank or trap or anything, just a sad high-school girl. So much for being an Ice Queen. Maybe her heart was melting after all.

A tear rolled down Victoria's cheek. Max pulled out her phone and dropped a message to Chloe, [ _It's not a trap_ ]. She took a seat next to Victoria on her immaculate bed and awkwardly patted Victoria's shoulder.

“Look, our chat at that Vortex party when you said it's not the only way made me think... And then that whole situation with Mr. Jefferson.” Victoria wrapped her arms around herself, hugging her abdomen, “I thought maybe I deserved it, for being so fucking bitchy.”

The door burst open and Chloe entered with a flourish, “CHLOE TO SAVE THE DAY!”

Victoria flinched away, almost trying to hide behind Max. Max stared at Chloe.

“Chloe, what the actual fuck?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chloe NO


	4. Strife

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe tries to pick a fight with Victoria. Max intervenes and plays video games.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHLOE POV! I don't know how good this chapter is but like, I quite like it. It was fun to write from Chloe's perspective and really get in her head.
> 
> I'm keeping my chapters around 1000-1500 words in length, so I can keep posting regularly. I know it's short, but eh. Maybe I'll increase it when I'm through with my exams.
> 
> So, you might have noticed, but this is gonna have Plot with a capital P. It's starting to unravel now, and it goes beyond just interpersonal stuff. I didn't mean to, but apparently I'm incapable of writing something longer than 3000 words without there being some of overall plot. Damn it, self.

Chloe took in the scene before her as she barreled into the bitchcave, striking a heroic pose. She was gonna save Max before anything bad happened, and Max would think she was really cool, and it was gonna be awesome. She might even get to punch Victoria in her stupid prissy face. Her head was throbbing with a hangover, but Max was important.

Max was sat on the bed next to Victoria, who wore no makeup today and whose eyes were red and puffy. She'd obviously been crying or had really bad hayfever. Victoria had flinched as she'd entered and hid behind Max. Fuck. This wasn't a rescue. This was an intrusion.

“Chloe, what the actual fuck?!” Max stared, her face a mask of surprised annoyance.

Chloe blinked repeatedly, tried to speak, but her voice failed when she couldn't think of anything to say. “I-” was all she managed before faltering.

“I literally sent you a text saying everything was okay. What, in the name of Leibovitz, are you doing here?”

She had no idea who Leibovitz was. Probably a really influential photographer or a World of Warcraft character or something.

“Well duh,” Chloe explained as if she were talking to a six year old, “It was probably Psychobitch over there, and you were probably like, drugged or something,” she trailed off. In hindsight, that was a really stupid move she just pulled. _Damn_ _it_ _, I hate being so fucking impulsive sometimes,_ she mused.

“Psycho bitch?” Victoria stood up, placing her hands on her hips, all signs of vulnerability gone, apart from her bloodshot eyes. “Excuse me? Who do you think you are?”

Yikes. Victoria was pissed at her now, which wasn't a problem, but it looked like Max wasn't best pleased either. She felt sick. It would probably be best if she made her excuses and left now. Well, there was only one thing to do.

“You're so fucking mentally unstable, Chase, why else would you look up to and _hit on_ that Jefferson maniac? You're a petty, narrow-minded, malicious bitch from hell,” she all but shouted, stepping closer and getting in her face. That wasn't what she'd intended to say. She'd meant to apologise, but you know what? Fuck Victoria Chase and fuck her fake vulnerability. Fuck her trying to trick Max into thinking she was in need, and bribing her with a camera. A flicker of... something passed over Psychobitch's face. Something was off. Chloe raised her hand and pointed a digit at Victoria's face, “You stay the fu-” SMACK.

Victoria had bitchslapped her, right across the cheek, and it freaking hurt. Her head was ringing from the blow and her hangover headache. Her rising temper had been temporarily paused in shock, but now it started to bubble. She wanted a fight, huh? Well if that was what it took to keep Max safe.

“Don't you _ever_ use that against me, wannabe punk-ass bitch.” Victoria spat, her voice slick with venom. “You have no idea what I went through.”

Chloe unclenched and clenched her fists, itching to sock her one right in the jaw. “Go fuck yourself. You're not gonna use or hurt Max ever again, you hear me?!”

Max, who Chloe had all but forgotten in the heat of the argument, stood. She'd been sat quietly, watching, and Chloe saw tears in her girlfriend's eyes. It broke her heart, it was all Psychobitch's fault that Max was crying. Oh, she was gonna teach her a lesson and mess up that pretty face.

“Chloe, Victoria, STOP!”

It wasn't like Max to shout. It caught both of their attention. Max's face was flushed red. “Guys, calm down. Chloe, Victoria didn't do anything wrong.”

“Yeah right. She's a- ”

“Shut up, Chloe,” Max sighed, cutting her off and putting a hand on her shoulder in reassurance. Her hand was warm. It help calm her, and cleared her mind. It occurred to her again that she'd probably fucked up in coming here, and made everything worse. _Good job, Chloe._

Victoria's voice was quiet but firm, “Get out.”

Max took her arm at the elbow and began leading her out. Victoria made a hand gesture to wait. “Come back in about half an hour, Max Factor? I still need to talk to you,” she paused and glared at Chloe, “ _without_ being rudely interrupted.”

Max nodded. Chloe let herself be lead silently out of the bitchcave and back into Max's room, where Max flopped down on the bed face-first and said somewhat muffled, “Roll yourself a joint.”

 

Some weed and a breath of fresh air later, and Chloe was mellow. Max was sat on her bed with a laptop, slouched against the wall and doing something with serious concentration. Chloe didn't want to bother her so she sat on the couch and stared into space for a while. She'd really fucked up now. Max didn't seem too pissed at her, but she'd got the wrong idea from that text and... yeah. Max hadn't taken as many photos lately... maybe her meds weren't working as well these days and she was feeling depressed. She wasn't sure what to say. She'd never been good with words. Max relaxed from whatever tension she'd been holding and looked up, meeting Chloe's gaze with a smile. At least she wasn't angry.

“Sorry. Boss fight,” she explained. “Done now though.”

“It's cool, man. I'm just spacing. Whatcha playing?”

Max looked sheepish. “Final Fantasy 9. I was fighting Hades.”

“You're such a dork. Is the game any good?”

“Yeah it's really great. It's my favourite Final Fantasy game. Dagger is so cool and I just feel really sad for Beatrix and...” she trailed off in thought. Chloe hadn't really played much in the way of video games. Maybe she could play games with Max though. That would really cool.

They lapsed into silence for a few minutes until Max finally said, “Anyway... What was _that_ about?”

She knew it would be brought up sooner or later. She sighed and leaned back, staring at the ceiling. “I don't know. I just... lost it. I knew I'd fucked up when I came in, but something in me just snapped, y'know?”

Max moved – probably put her laptop down next to her – and came to sit next to her. Only then did Chloe look at her. “I didn't mean to make you cry, Super Max. You're my rock; you keep me together.”

And then her beautiful girlfriend, her Maxine Caulfield, rested her head on her shoulder. When Max touched her, everything was okay. She was a very tactile person like that.

“It's okay. I'll smooth things over with Victoria. I just need to know everything's alright with you.”

She felt fine now but whatever happened there, that wasn't like her. Or maybe it was. She knew she had anger issues but that just now was fucking irrational. Maybe she was worse than she thought. But she couldn't let Max worry, and she felt pretty chill. Even her hangover was easing up. “I'm fine, Max. Don't worry. I just lost my cool a bit. Hangover must have messed with my head.”

Max nodded. It was _so_ hard to read her emotions sometimes. She could be so damn cryptic.

Chloe didn't know what to say, so she settled for, “I love you, Maxine Caulfield.”

“I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #winning
> 
> \--
> 
> I don't much like asking, but if you enjoyed it, do click 'kudos' and/or leave a comment. It helps let the author know her work is appreciated.  
> I mean, imagine a content creator has 3,000 hits but only 2 favourites and no comments. That tells the creator that nobody's enjoying their work so they won't make more.


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